The Best Robot Vacuum 2023

Robot vacuums can help you clean your floors more easily. The best robot vacuums can pick up tracked-in dirt and pet hair, crumbs, and more.

While they can't perform as well as an ordinary vacuum cleaner, they've come a long ways in the last few years. They're smarter, more powerful and (marginally) better at avoiding chair legs.

Smart Mapping

Robot vacuum cleaners employ instruments for navigation such as sensors and lasers to navigate around your home. They remove pet hair, crumbs, and dirt from floors made of hard materials like tile, wood, and laminate, and carpets with a low pile. Robots that are the most sophisticated map your home so they know where they've been and can avoid bumping into obstacles like couches, chairs, and bookshelves. You can also set up no-go areas using your smartphone to alert your robot to avoid areas you don't want it to keep clean.

Robots that have advanced mapping capabilities, such as the Roomba j7, utilize onboard cameras and processor-powered smarts to avoid obstacles and see them. Then, you can allow it to complete the task without having to constantly monitor the state of your floorplan or manually remove obstacles out of the way. The TP Link Tapo RV30 Plus is a robot which combines mopping with vacuuming. It's a one-stop solution to keep your home spotless. It has a great suction feature and can be used with Alexa or Google Assistant. It also comes with a handy self-emptying feature that can be used as a security camera.

A less expensive bot that vacuums, mop and can be used as a robot trashcan The Roborock Q Revo is a solid option for homes that don't need the advanced features of the more expensive models. However, it has some limitations in comparison to Roomba S8 and J7. It uses only one brush, not dual roller brushes, meaning it isn't as efficient at picking up larger debris such as socks and shoes. Also, it doesn't include AI obstacle avoidance technology, so you might need to get rid of clutter prior to running it.

The iLife A4s Pro is a basic robot that's perfect for those who prefer simplicity and proficiency. It's priced at less than $200, and offers strong, consistent suction on hardwood as well as low-pile rugs while avoiding tangles. It doesn't have any advanced features, but it does the job very well. It's also compatible with voice commands, so you can run it on schedule or create zones that aren't allowed to be entered through the app.

Object Detection

Object-avoidance technologies can make or break the ability of a robot vacuum to navigate your home. Some of the models we've reviewed contain sensors (or even cameras) that allow your robot cleaner to avoid common traps for robots such as cords, kids' toys and pet spills. irobot vacuum and mop's Roomba j7 is one of the best examples of this kind of smart tech in action. It also comes with a sleek clean base that empties the dustbin automatically so you don't need to.

In our testing, we set up the robotic cleaner in a huge home and were amazed by how quickly and thoroughly floors were cleaned without becoming a mess. It is extremely maneuverable and can reach places most standup vacs never reach, such as under sofas and under beds. It also has great suction, a huge 500 ml dustbin and an over two hours of runtime. It's just not equipped with the ability to set zones that are not allowed to be used and its object detection is a little hit-or-miss, meaning we saw it bump into things occasionally during our tests (resulting in a few tipped vase).

It's important to keep in mind that no matter how clever a robot vacuum may be but it can't replace your regular canister or upright vacuum. It's not equipped to handle heavily stained carpets, it will not be able to reach every corner, and it won't reach your ceilings or other hard-to-reach spaces. It's a great addition to your regular cleaning routine for removing crumbs, hair, pet dander and other hair.

Sensors are integrated into the majority of robot vacuums to assist them navigate around stairs and obstacles. They are able to tell when they're about to fall down the stairs for instance, and they detect areas that are cluttered and move around them. Nevertheless, if you're not vigilant, your robo-cleaner might be stuck on a cord or shoe and require assistance.

Some of the smarter robot vacuums come with mapping capabilities that allow them to design an outline of your home and then locate themselves within it. They can then know what areas they've already cleaned, and save time by not having to go over the same areas. It also lets them resume where they left off if they need to return to their charging dock.

self cleaning robot vacuum-Emptying

A robot vacuum that automatically emptys its dust bin when it's full is a great convenience. Some models also have a window that lets you see when the bin needs to be empty. This is a great option for anyone with pets or children who tend to create more mess than adults.

Most robot vacuums let you choose whether the machine is controlled via a remote control or an app on your smartphone or voice commands. They come with a variety of digital features, including scheduling and maintenance tips. You can program your robot to clean your house on an annual or a regularly using the appropriate settings. You can also program the robot to mark out and clean specific areas of your home.

The smartest robot vacuums that we've tested come with cameras and smart sensors, which allow them to create maps of your home. You can save these maps to the robot's app and use them to navigate around your home. Some of these systems can even remember furniture placement and note the transitions between hard floors and carpet.

The most effective smart vacuums will save you time by automatically mapping and cleaning entire houses and keeping precise records of previous cleaning sessions. You can access the records via an app that you can install on your tablet or smartphone. Most of them can be connected to your smart speaker, so that you can control them via voice commands.

TP-Link's Tapo RV30 Plus is an inexpensive, self-emptying robot vacuum that offers good performance for the money. It is able to clean floors and sweep pet hair and other debris from low-pile and hardwood rugs. It's not as advanced as some of the other robots we've reviewed, but it does what it does very well.

The model's tank-like wheels permit it to roll over obstacles such as cords that are tangled and high transitions in between rooms. It has a huge bin that doesn't need to be emptying manually, and can recharge itself and continue cleaning when it is unable to continue cleaning. It's more expensive than other robotic vacuums we've tried, however it has powerful suction with simple controls to provide excellent value.

Voice Control

Most robot vacuum for hardwood floors vacuums can be controlled by a physical remote or an app that you can install on your smartphone. Some can also integrate with smart speakers like Amazon Echo or Google Home, allowing you to run them using voice commands. This is useful when your robot has to clean up and you have pets or children that could interfere.

Most models have an automatic mode which works without your input. You can start the robot by pressing a button within the app or on the robot. These robots can be programmed to clean according to a schedule, making them ideal for people who simply want to set and forget.

Certain models that are more expensive include a sophisticated feature which uses artificial intelligence to scan and detect the presence of obstacles within your home. These models can identify things like stairs, furniture, power cords and even different types of flooring. This can help them avoid such hazards which is especially helpful in larger homes that have lots of rugs and other floor coverings that are hard for robots to navigate.

Some robots come with less basic object detection capabilities however they still manage to accomplish the task. The TP-Link Tapo RV30 Plus, for robot vacuum for hardwood floors example is similar to a wifi router but offers the performance of a high-end robot. It is extremely suction-driven and is able to remove dirt and debris from hardwood floors and rugs with medium pile with ease. Its short, squat side brushes are less likely to get caught in stray shoes and cords and its hybrid roller brush uses bristles and plastic instead of bristles in traditional form for an even more thorough cleaning.

The model is more expensive than other mid-range robots, but it does everything you require from mopping and vacuuming robots. It can draw out the cleaning schedule and then create one. It also has virtual zones that you can stay clear of. It doesn't have the same room-scanning feature and obstacles-avoiding features as the j7 and the s8.